California College of the Arts

Intl Graduate Applicants

Requirements for International
Graduate Applicants

Proof of English Language Proficiency. Unless English is your first language, you must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. CCA will continue to accept computer-based and paper-based (CBT, PBT) versions of the TOEFL exam until the internet-based (iBT) test is completely phased in.

CCA graduate applicants must achieve a minimum score of 100 on the iBT, 250 on the CBT, or 600 on the PBT. You must request that an official copy of the scores be sent directly from the testing service to the Enrollment Services Office. Our school code is 4031.

Please contact the Enrollment Services Office if you have any questions about the school's iBT TOEFL requirements. For more information about TOEFL iBT, please see www.toefl.com.

TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. If it has been more than two years since the test taker last took the TOEFL, the test must be taken again.

Declaration of Finances and I-20 Request Form. If you are accepted to the program, you must submit a Declaration of Finances and an I-20 request form (PDF). The Declaration of Finances is an official bank statement demonstrating your ability to cover the cost of attending CCA for at least one year (in 2007-08, approximately $34,000 for Visual and Critical Studies and $46,360 for all other programs). If you are being sponsored by someone other than your parents, a letter of support must accompany the official bank statement. CCA does not provide a special form for this bank statement.

CCA will not issue you an I-20 until you have been admitted and you have submitted the declaration of finances, I-20 request form, and a $300 tuition deposit. The I-20 form, a copy of the Declaration of Finances, and your letter of acceptance must be presented to a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain a student visa (F-1) for entry to the United States.

Obtaining a Student Visa

Step 1: You must submit an official bank statement from your parent or sponsor, demonstrating your ability to cover the cost of attending CCA for at least one year (approximately $43,520 for 2007–8 undergraduate and graduate). If you are being sponsored by someone other than your parents, a letter of support must accompany the official bank statement. CCA does not provide a special form for this verification of finances. All financial documents are completely confidential.

Step 2: You must also complete an I-20 Request Form (PDF). CCA will not issue you an I-20 until you have been admitted, submitted the bank statement, and completed-20 Request Form.

It is recommended that you send your bank statement and the I-20 request form with your application materials in order to expedite the process.

Step 3: Bring your I-20, a copy of your bank statement, and your letter of acceptance to a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain a student visa (F-1) for entry into the United States.

If you are studying in the United States and have F-1 status, you must submit both an I-20 Request Form and an I-20 transfer release form. Your current international advisor must transfer your F-1 status to CCA and sign this document.

To maintain F-1 status, you must carry a full-time course load each semester (minimum 12 undergraduate units; 9 graduate Visual and Critical Studies units, or 15 units for all other graduate programs).

Mailing Instructions

California College of the Arts
Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco, CA 94107-2247

CCA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the National Association for Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER).

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Shiraz Chavan
Assistant Director of International Admission
schavan@cca.edu
Phone: 415.703.9520
Fax: 415.703.9539


Application Procedures by Program

* An important note: Due to its low residency format, CCA is currently unable to issue I-20s to international MBA in Design Strategy Program applicants. However, if you are an international student who currently resides in the United States on an H visa (employer-sponsored), you will be eligible to enroll.